Dundas County Archives

The Dundas County Archives are the custodians of permanent and historical civic government records on behalf of the North and South Dundas Municipalities and its many departments, as well as local, community records with historical value. We preserve, acquire and make these documents accessible for Staff, the public, and other researchers, for present and future generations.

Our goal is to preserve records that enhance our understanding of the history, evolution, and development of the Dundas County social fabric, natural and built environment, and the people that lived, worked, and made significant contributions to the shaping of Dundas County.

Archives and public access to records promotes accountability and transparency in government, and documents the interaction between elected officials and citizens. This encourages citizen participation and ownership of their government and their community.

Location & Hours	Contact Information
5 College Street P.O. Box 58 Iroquois ON K0E 1K0 Open by Appointment Only	Susan Peters, Archivist Phone: 613-669-2169 Email: dundascountyarchives@gmail.com

The Dundas County Archives, in partnership with the United Counties of SDG, The Glengarry County Archives and The Lost Villages Historical Society have contributed to The SDG Online Archives project. Click here to view the SDG Newspaper and Photo Digitization Project.

UELAC St. Lawrence Branch

Please note, the Dundas County Archives does not have access to or manage the Lynne Cook/ Loyalist Resource Centre. This collection and centre is operated by the UELAC St. Lawrence Branch. Located at 5 College Street, Iroquois, the Loyalist Resource Centre is staffed by Lorraine Reoch, UELAC St. Lawrence Branch President and Larry Empey.

Opening hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, by APPOINTMENT ONLY. Appointments will be a maximum of 2 people and for the duration of 2 hours to allow volunteers time to get caught up with the backlog of requests from people wanting to do research. It is anticipated that length of research hours will be extended in the future. When attending your appointment, you will be asked to wear a face covering upon entry and for the duration of your appointment. We thank you for your understanding.

For more information visit their website.

Dundas County Archives FAQs

The Dundas County Archives has two main types of records in its collection: civic government records and community records.
Civic government records include records of the Municipalities of North and South Dundas, as well as the former municipalities.
Community records include the records of individuals, families, businesses and organizations who have contributed meaningfully to and further enhance our understanding of the history, and evolution of Dundas County. Examples include diaries, letters, land records, and photographs.
Some records in the custody of the Archives are restricted by law, others are restricted by donor agreements, and some may not be available for custodial reasons. For instance, payroll records are protected by privacy legislation; an individual’s diaries may have been restricted as a condition of donation; and photographic negatives may be unavailable because they are too fragile to handle.
Should you wish to access material that has been identified as restricted or may potentially have restrictions on either all or some of the material, please submit a request through Reference Services by email at dundascountyarchives@gmail.com . An archivist will review the records and inform you within 20 business days whether you may have access.
Civic government records may be subject to MFIPPA or other applicable legislation,
Access to restricted material may require the completion of a research access agreement form, and supervision by an archivist. Reproduction of restricted records is strictly forbidden.
Corporate Mandate
Under the Ontario Municipal Act, 2001, municipalities have an obligation to retain, preserve in a secure manner, and provide public access to municipal records that provide an accurate record of business functions and transactions to encourage effective governance, transparency, and accountability. The Dundas County Archives was created, in part, to meet this legislated requirement. The current program contributes to the Corporation’s administrative efficiency as well as the cultural, social, and economic advancement of the County as a free and democratic society.
The Dundas County Archives is responsible for:
- Promoting good record keeping by North and South Dundas Municipalities to facilitate the identification and preservation of civic government records that have enduring value because they document its business functions and transactions;
- Identifying which civic records have archival value and authorizing their transfer to the Archives for retention and preservation in a secure manner;
- Determining which civic records no longer have any value and authorizing their destruction in accordance with the records retention by-law;
- Providing public access to the records in its care.
Community Mandate
The Dundas County Archives program plays a key role in preserving community memory by encouraging individuals, organizations, and businesses in the community to create their own archives. The objective of this role is to preserve records that enhance our understanding of the history, evolution, and development of the County’s social fabric, natural and built environment, and the people that lived, worked, and made significant contributions to the shaping of the County. The Archives program acquires community records that would otherwise be lost for lack of a venue to preserve and make them accessible.
In support of its community mandate, the Dundas County Archives proactively engages the broader Archives community in its promotion efforts, and engages friends, partners, learning institutions and groups that represent the ethno-cultural-religious heritage of the County.

Alerts

UELAC St. Lawrence Branch

Dundas County Archives FAQs